ZKC controller does not recognize speed overtake in timely manner and separation is lost.

Attributes
ACN	544199
Time
Date	200204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27400 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 18 controller time certified in position1 : 1
ASRS Report	544199
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment : conflict alert aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Miss Distance	horizontal : 25800 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Nebound aircraft (MD80) wrong-for-direction, wbound aircraft (B737) both at FL280. Mistook the overtake and the B737's j-ring [dist reference indicator -- 5 NM circumference around aircraft] clipped the back side of the MD80's j-ring.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZKC CTLR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE SPD OVERTAKE IN TIMELY MANNER AND SEPARATION IS LOST.

Narrative: NEBOUND ACFT (MD80) WRONG-FOR-DIRECTION, WBOUND ACFT (B737) BOTH AT FL280. MISTOOK THE OVERTAKE AND THE B737'S J-RING [DIST REF INDICATOR -- 5 NM CIRCUMFERENCE AROUND ACFT] CLIPPED THE BACK SIDE OF THE MD80'S J-RING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.